In recent years, garbanzo beans have become crazy popular; you can find them gracing the supermarket aisles in the form of chickpea pasta, chickpea flour, chickpea chips, and even chickpea pizza crust. But with all this hype, it's easy to wonder if the health benefits of garbanzo beans are truly
that great. Ahead, a deep dive into chickpea nutrition, plus dietitian-approved ways for eating them.
Chickpeas 101
As part of the legume family, chickpeas are related to kidney, lima, and black beans as well as peanuts (which, BTW, is why those with peanut or nut allergies might want to steer clear). Native to the Mediterranean, these roundish beans are grown in more than 50 counties today, according to Montana State University. And while the terms "garbanzo beans" and "chickpeas" are used interchangeably, garbanzo — aka Kabuli chickpeas, which are roundish, cream-beige beans — are actually one of the two main varieties of chickpea. The other main type is the desi chickpea, which is small and dark brown. Never heard of this cultivar? That's likely because this variety is more common in the Middle East and India, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For the sake of this article (and since garbanzo beans are more common in the U.S.A.), let's just refer to chickpeas and garbanzo beans as one and the same. Got that? Good!